Like A Swiss Watch: Roger Dubuis’ Savvy Storytelling on WeChat

In today’s digital age, promoting a new product on social media can be a daunting task for marketers, posing the challenge of how to make an impactful statement, but also achieve tangible results. Here is what luxury brands can learn from Swiss Watchmaker Roger Dubuis, on how to launch a decent product campaign on China's WeChat. The Product The timepiece entitled "Excalibur Spider Pirelli" is a product of the collaboration between Roger Dubuis (of Swiss luxury group Richemont) and Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli. The watch is available exclusively for Chinese consumers this summer. The design features rubber inlays from certified Pirelli winning tyres. The launch of the product was supported by a comprehensive social media campaign, created by FABERNOVEL, a Shanghai-based digital agency servicing premium brands. During the run of the campaign from May 29 through June 10, the promotion generated up to 5 million impressions on WeChat, recruiting hundreds of followers to the Roger Dubuis official account. High points: Interactive storytelling An engaging story was key in determining the success of the Roger Dubuis WeChat campaign. Viewers of the account were invited to take on the role of a journalist, attempting to discover more about the timepiece at a racing competition. By following the plot, participants were given three different clues, including the type of material used, the color, and the design. All of these clues then led the participant to the final discovery of Excalibur Spider Pirelli Automatic Skeleton Orange timepiece. Those who scored the correct answers to questions along the way were rewarded with a gift kit, and viewers were encouraged to uncover a bonus clue by making appointments to visit the Roger Dubuis boutique offline. Targeted Key Opinion Leaders The marriage between a luxury car brand and heritage watch manufacturer thrilled the Chinese fanbases of both Pirelli and Roger Dubuis. The unique crossover helped to broaden the consumer bases of the brands, encouraging collaborations with celebrity influencers in both fields. Roger Dubuis worked with influential luxury car KOLs (key opinion leader) who go by the WeChat account names of "Car Review" and "Car Uncle" to engage with the luxury car community. Layered mini-campaigns The timepiece campaign was promoted twice via official WeChat moment advertisements. The first advertisement, posted just before the event, was designed to peak curiosity and encourage consumers to click on the related Roger Dubuis WeChat post. The second advertisement - posted about a week later - led with an image of the product and an H5 post including a video with multiple call-to-action buttons encouraging readers to participate in the campaign. The Takeaways: For brands looking to leverage WeChat to promote a new product, here are some tips to achieve maximize engagement: Storytelling with a purpose: make sure to weave key features of the product into your storytelling, with a creative spin. Choose unique KOLs: Specific KOLs that appeal to your fanbase can be an effective medium to boost promotion. Create layers within a campaign: from awareness to action, brands can create multiple mini-campaigns to invite consumers to discover more about a new product.

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Like A Swiss Watch: Roger Dubuis’ Savvy Storytelling on WeChat